For one insane second, instinct made me pull away.
But another bullet exploded inches from my head.
So I ran.
We crashed through a side door into freezing rain behind the church.
A black SUV waited near the road.
Matthew shoved me inside.
Rachel climbed in beside me with Eleanor and the child seconds later.
Then Matthew floored the accelerator just as Mercer burst outside firing.
Bullets shattered the rear windshield.
The little girl screamed.
Rachel ducked protectively over her.
And suddenly we were racing through coastal backroads at terrifying speed.
Nobody spoke for nearly a minute.
Only ragged breathing.
Rain.
And the sound of tires screaming against wet pavement.
Finally I turned toward Matthew.
“You lied to me for years.”
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“Yes.”
“You cheated.”
“Yes.”
“You stole from me.”
“Yes.”
“You helped cover up my father’s murder.”
Pain crossed his face.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then quietly:
“But I never stopped trying to fix it.”
I almost hated myself for believing part of him meant that.
Rachel didn’t.
“Oh please,” she snapped. “You’re a criminal sociopath.”
Matthew gave a humorless laugh.
“You’re not wrong.”
Then his expression darkened.
“But Mercer’s worse.”
Eleanor finally spoke.
“He runs Atlas operations in New York now.”
I stared at her.
“You knew?”
She nodded weakly.
“Matthew found out two years ago.”
“Why didn’t he go public?” Rachel demanded.
“Because Atlas owns people everywhere,” Matthew answered. “Judges. Agents. Politicians. Journalists.”
The city skyline appeared faintly ahead through the storm.
Manhattan.
Beautiful.
Corrupt.
Deadly.
“Then why expose yourself now?” I asked.
Matthew looked at me briefly.
“Because you were never supposed to get dragged into this.”
I laughed coldly.
“You brought your mistress to my baby shower.”
He winced.
“Yeah. That part was genuinely unforgivable.”
Even Rachel looked momentarily surprised.
Then Matthew reached into his jacket and handed me a second flash drive.
“This one matters more.”
I stared at it.
“What is it?”
“The names.”
My pulse slowed.
“All of them?”
He nodded.
“Atlas leadership. Offshore accounts. Politicians. Judges.”
Rachel looked horrified.
“You’ve been carrying this around?”
“It’s why they want me dead.”
